Just like last year, the state's largest school districts are bowing to the North Carolina teachers union (don't call it a union) as it plans to strike on May 1st. The lack of consequences for the 2018 strike virtually guaranteed it would be repeated.
Indeed, it emboldened the leftists that are running the union - who adopted a socialist logo and chose the communist-favorite May Day to hold their march.
They pretend they're not a union. They pretend this isn't a strike. They pretend this isn't about electing Democrats to the General Assembly. They pretend they're doing all of this for other people.
The dishonesty deployed to justify this work stoppage amounts to a widespread gaslighting effort against citizens of the state.
The Chairman of the Wake County School Board, Jim Martin, followed the pro-union playbook in announcing the state's largest district is caving to the leftist mob:
Wake school board chairman Jim Martin said the number of day-off requests far exceed the number of available substitute teachers, “which means we cannot ensure adequate instruction and supervision that day.”
Of course, districts COULD refuse to grant the time off requests. They are empowered to do so if there are not enough substitutes.
But they won't.
Because the leaders of many districts agree with the extortion tactic being used here. They want to see Democrats back in power.
Adding insult to the injury, Martin tells citizens to suck it up:
“This decision is not made lightly,” Martin said Wednesday in Wake’s announcement. “We know that this schedule change puts a burden on families. We also know that our teachers are not taking the day off.
“Instead, they are taking leave from the classroom to advocate for public education, for their students and for your children. I ask that you give them your support.”
Of course, this education leader doesn't mention that these selfless advocates could wage their protest on a day when class is not in session.
Perhaps because doing so would require honesty.
And honesty is not part of this extortion effort.
The only reason to walk out of class and punish innocent students and parents is to exact pain and suffering. The strikers hope this will coerce people to agree to the union demands so as to avoid future pain and suffering.
That's extortion.
And people need to call it what it is.
Pete's Prep: Thursday, April 11, 2019
- Republican state lawmakers are looking to end the ritual of turning our clocks forward and backward for Daylight Saving Time.
- In the Carolina Journal, John Hood writes: "North Carolina is a populous, fast-growing, and urbanizing state. But that doesn’t mean our settlement patterns are friendly to large-scale rail transit, or likely ever to become so."
- From HotAir: "The Washington Post published a story Tuesday night about efforts by lawyers for the Washington Post to have a lawsuit against the company dismissed."
- In a completely un-shocking and expected development, Bloomberg reports that Amazon employees are, indeed, listening in on your Echo device.